And Death Shall Have No Dominion
by Forgotten Cat
Summary: Bella has grown up and no longer wants a relationship with Edward and returns home to Forks but there is something she is forgetting... Post-Eclipse, eventual Jacob x Bella
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome, welcome! _

_This first chapter is a bit melancholy but don't worry, the Jacob/Bella goodness is coming._

_Bella's quote is taken from a Dylan Thomas poem called 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion.'_

***

Bella could just make out the dark, murky water churning at the base of the cliff. There was a storm coming and the light had an eerie dimness to it. She shivered a bit as a stiff breeze rolled in but the cold air carried the sharp tang of salt water and something about the smell, the chill, quieted the thoughts racing around her mind and made her feel almost—at home. Bella remembered standing at the top of another cliff on another day many, many years ago.

"It must be ten years now," she thought. "Ten years since I gave up my life."

And, indeed, it had been nearly ten years since Bella Swan married Edward Cullen and almost 6 since the monotonous day-to-day existence of the Cullen family finally began to suck her dry. The unending, unchanging pattern ran like clockwork, from place to place. Alice occupied herself with games and fripperies, Emmett with carnal desires, Carlisle found purpose in his work, and Edward—well, Edward's main hobby was Bella.

He had never agreed change her, always arguing to save her soul. "This life, Bella," he would say, "it's not forever. We're long-lived, yes, but not eternal. All beings must exit this mortal plain eventually but only human beings, gifted with a soul, may pass on to the eternal realm. If I take that from you, it would be no better than murder—worse than murder. It is enough to be your husband now. In this time."

It didn't matter that Bella wanted only to be young and strong beside him, even if only for 100 years—for what was eternity if it did not have Edward in it? And how could a loving God have no place for Edward? Didn't He love all His creations? So, they argued, but Edward would not give in. He was determined to save Bella from her own desires. And if she was careless with knifes and cars and illness, it wasn't a death wish but a desire to share that tangible eternity with Edward. If she happened to injure herself, surely he would not miss the opportunity to transform her.

And so this impasse did not poison their marriage. Not right away, anyways. Everything was so new and wonderful at first. Bella left behind everything she knew without a second thought and went away with the Cullens. Her family, her friends, and her identity lay behind her in Forks, Washington.

The Cullens existed out of time—they were the boulder in the stream of humanity, staying put while human lives rushed past in the blink of an eye. With them Bella too must exist out of time and she became whoever her forged papers said she was. First she was Isobel Cullen: freshman at Caribou High School in Maine, starting classes with her assorted foster siblings. Edward had never told her how much easier high school was the second time around: classes, homework, lunch—or, rather the appearance of lunch—drifted by easily. Bella had gotten out of the habit of eating much of anything; being around vampires didn't exactly work wonders on the appetite. But she was happy enough. A thoughtless, brainless kind of happiness. Content to share jokes with Alice and hidden kisses with Edward.

Isobel Cullen, older sister to Edward Cullen, freshman at Jefferson High School in St. Louis, Mo, was less cheerful. She took the occasional class the local college but her heart wasn't in it. Alice's jokes and confidences seemed to repeat themselves—who said what in chemistry class and to whom—and Edward patiently wrote the same paper on _Huckleberry Finn_ that they'd been assigned their junior year in Forks. Was this really all there was to life? "I must be missing something," Bella thought. "Did I make a mistake? Not pressing harder to be changed?"

Bella was missing something else, too. Chaste touches and tender looks had been enough for an 18-year old but as she grew older, her skin began to ache for another touch, a warm, human touch. Their first night as husband and wife, Edward lost control. He knocked her unconscious with the force of his thrusting and when she came to the next morning, she was covered in bruises and feathers—for he had bit through the pillow next to her neck—and she had no memory of their honeymoon night.

Edward never lost control again. He would perform certain marital duties if she asked. But as the years went on, she asked less and less often, preferring her own touch to the cold fingers and tongue of her husband.

When Carlisle said it was time to leave Missouri, Bella begged for them to go somewhere new and exciting. And Carlisle was pleased to see Bella taking an interest in life again, so he asked her what she wanted to do in this new and exciting place.

"College, I guess," said Bella.

"What are you going to study?" said Carlisle, not unkindly.

"I don't know—literature?" Bella thought about all volumes from the various Bronte sisters lining her book shelves. "I like to read."

"Let's go to Berlin," said Edward, interrupting her thoughts. "Rilke, Kafka—so many of the greats were German: _Im Kampf zwischen Dir und der Welt, sekundiere der Welt._"

"I'll back Emmett," Rosalie said with a laugh.

Edward glared at her. "Kafka's point was that we are born to endure life."

"Yeah, and we were born to endure _you_," said Rosalie.

"We haven't been to Germany in years," said Carlisle, ignoring their bickering.

"No!" said Bella, more loudly than she had intended. The Cullens all looked at her. "I mean, I don't want to go to Germany."

"Well, then, Bella, where would you like to go?" asked Esme.

Thoughts of the Brontes and Shakespeare and Jane Austen flashed through her mind again. And that's how she ended up here, in Wales, the rainiest place in the UK, finishing university.

Or maybe she wouldn't finish. Maybe she would just walk right off the cliff and into the water below—traveling down, down, down into the dark depths.

"And death shall have no dominion under the windings of the sea," said Bella to herself.

She looked down again and shifted her weight forward. Just one more step and—

"Bella! What are you doing?"

Cold arms grasped her from behind and she fell backwards into them. Edward. He dragged her away from the edge of the cliff and twirled her around to face him.

"You disappeared from the house without telling me," Edward said chidingly. "I was worried."

"I'm allowed to take a walk," Bella spit back angrily. The look of concern on his angelic features taunted her.

"Why must you hurt me like this?" asked Edward. "You throw my concern aside like it's nothing. You go out of your way to injure yourself."

"I'm dying, Edward!" Bella shouted. Angry tears began to fall.

Edward was like a marble statue. "No—Carlisle would have told me. He said your last physical was healthy."

His calm rebuttal only fueled her anger. "That's not what I meant."

"Well, then what?"

It began to rain.

"This life—I can't do it."

The rain mixed with the tears on her face.

"Bella, we must get you inside." Edward moved towards her but she backed away.

"I'm 28-years old," she said determinedly.

"And I'm 114," he replied.

"But you're not—you're 17, Edward, and you always will be."

"Is this about age again?" asked Edward, trying again to herd Bella back towards shelter. "Bella, I will always love _you_ with all the purity of 17-year old—through every phase of your life."

"That's not enough for me anymore," she said, resisting his advances.

"What do you want me to do, Bella? You knew who I was—what your life would be. You wanted this. You wanted me." Fear flashed in his eyes.

Bella turned to walk back towards the house.

"You don't get to walk away," Edward called after her. He closed the distance between them effortlessly. "We are bound together."

"We're not legally married," said Bella, looking straight ahead.

"God's law means nothing to you now?" Edward's voice trembled in anger.

"It never did, Edward! You were the one concerned about my soul. I did it to make _you_ happy!"

"I refuse to believe that—I refuse to release you."

"Too bad. You don't need to release me—I'm releasing myself."

"No!" Edward grabbed her arm, hard, and Bella grimaced in pain.

"After I get my degree, I'm leaving," she said, tears falling once again.

"Where?"

"I don't know."

And they were silent all the way back to the house.

***

But Bella didn't leave right away and Edward convinced himself that she had forgotten her tantrum on the cliff. Life continued on much as it had before. Classes, family jokes, and secret hunting trips. Emmett developed a taste for wild seal; Jasper studied military history; Rosalie learned Welsh; Alice played in the old ruins.

Edward watched.

Graduation approached.

Alice pulled him aside one morning after Bella had left for class. "I know you know," she said. "What I've seen—it's been 5 months, Edward and there is no change. Bella's future is gone."

"That doesn't mean anything. She's still here, isn't she?"

Alice twirled her skirt out, thoughtfully. "But for how much longer?"

Edward stormed out. "She won't leave me," he said. "She can't."

"She will," called Alice after him.

Edward kept a closer and closer watch on Bella. He followed her to class, watched her do her homework at the library, kept out of sight as she stopped for coffee, waited outside while she went for drinks at the pub with the other girls in her seminar. If Bella knew what he was doing, she didn't let on.

It reminded him of the early days, before Bella was his and his alone. He would watch like this—looking for a clue to her feelings. The key to her heart. She closed her door to keep him out at night but he snuck in through the window to watch her sleep. Bella no longer spoke in her sleep but she tossed and turned, restless and he would lay a cool hand on her forehead to quiet her.

Soon—too soon—classes ended. And Bella had her certificate. A degree in English literature.

He asked after her thesis and she told him, without meeting his eyes. "Oh," she said. "It's nothing important. Just how the real tragedy of _Romeo & Juliet_ was not their deaths but the destructive force of their relationship on everyone else's lives."

And then, one day soon after, when Edward returned after a week hunting wild game on the moors in Scotland, Bella was gone. She left a note:

_I'm sorry._ _All my love, Bella._

Edward's cry of pain pierced the windows. He had to stop her. Not only did she have no right to cast God's plan for him—for them—aside, she had forgotten about another danger. One he hadn't wanted to name for fear of upsetting her: The Volturi.

Vampires had long memories and they would find her and kill her.

Unless he found her first.

***

Bella wasn't concerned with vampires or other supernatural beasties when she stepped off the plane in Seattle. She'd been away so long. Would Charlie even remember what she looked like? Could he forgive her?

When she had begun plotting her escape, there was only one destination in mind—only one place that she still thought of as home—Forks.

She'd kept up sporadic contact with Charlie over the years, a Christmas card here, an e-mail there, and their naturally reticent personalities shown through in their communications. He was always 'fine' and so was she. When she'd e-mailed him, telling him she was leaving Edward—that she wanted to come home—Charlie's response had been curt:

_Your old bedroom is just as you left it._

And when she e-mailed again with her flight information:

_I'll be there_.

Bella kept her eyes peeled for him as she headed towards the baggage claim. A Disney-clad family clogged the escalator and Bella tapped her fingers on the railing impatiently. College students in sweatpants, proud spouses greeting returning soldiers, be-suited business travelers—and there he was, a middle-aged man in a plaid shirt, jeans, and work boots. She gave a small wave and pushed past the Disney family as they collected themselves at the bottom of the escalator.

Charlie shuffled over, shyly. "It's been a long time, Bells."

"Yeah," she replied.

"Welcome home," he said, with a small smile, and gave her a gentle pat on the arm.

The ride home was quiet but it was a nice silence. They listened to classic rock and Charlie stopped for her to get real coffee and donuts. The taste of the bitter coffee and sugar donuts triggered something, a sense memory, and she was 18 again. Running away but too young to know what from—tears welled up in her eyes and drifted slowly down her cheeks.

It wasn't supposed to end up like this. She was supposed to be living Happily Ever After.

"Dad," she asked, blinking back her tears. "Does it get easier?"

"Does what?" He kept his eyes focused safely on the road.

"Life," Bella sniffed.

"Well, now," Charlie said, "life is never easy but as long as you face your challenges head on, I think you'll do okay."

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Running away?"

"That depends—are you running away or are you running towards something?"

"I don't know."

"Then that's what you have to figure out."

***


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you, everyone, for your kind responses to the first chapter!_

***

Bella's bedroom _was_ just as she had left it, the house, too. And Charlie. And he left her alone in her old bedroom to unpack and settle in.

The curtains fluttered in the summer breeze and Bella breathed deeply, remembering summer nights and the cold embrace she spent them in. She had been so girlish in her love, so innocent and selfish. She walked to the window and looked out over the back yard. The fading sunlight lit up the tops of the trees with an orangey glow. The rustling leaves sounded like waves crashing against the shore and Bella closed her eyes and imagined herself back on top of the cliff in La Push.

Would she still hear Edward's voice?

Did she still want to?

Bella's suitcase was crammed full of books and the handful of clothes that Alice hadn't bought for her—jeans, two or three T-shirts, and her monkey-print pajamas—but mostly books. She slowly began stacking them on her desk but stopped when she reached her old dog-eared copy of "Romeo & Juliet." Edward had given it to her on their first wedding anniversary. The inscription, written in his trademarked flowery cursive, implied that their romance was proof that Romeo and Juliet _could_ have a happy ending. The last few years had changed Bella's mind. She flipped through the pages and the tragedy played out again—lives thrown away for nothing, for a momentary and mercurial passion.

A knock on the door disturbed Bella's wallowing.

"Come in." She wiped the tears on the back of her hand.

Charlie opened the door. "I was thinking—I know you might be tired of riding in the car—but we could go to the diner tonight. For dinner. If you wanted— "

"Dinner?" When had she eaten last? Bella's stomach growled. Charlie smiled at the sound.

"Is that a yes?"

"Sure." Bella gave a small smile back and Romeo and Juliet were forgotten for the moment.

The next week passed in a blur. Bella cleaned the house from top to bottom. "Vacuuming helps my jet lag," she explained to Charlie. It also kept her mind busy. If she was washing dishes and baking and organizing closets, she didn't have time to worry about what she was going to do next or regret the life she left behind. Charlie hadn't said anything about her staying with him but she didn't want to impose on him for longer than she had to.

"I'll need to get a job" was drowned in the bottom of a mop bucket and "Rosalie would die if she saw this" was scrubbed off the living room windows. And if chopping onions made her a little more teary eyed than usual, Bella told herself it was only because she hadn't done it in so long. The Cullens didn't particularly care for the smell of human food so Bella found herself eating out—or more and more frequently as the years went on—not eating at all. The smell of sautéing onions and the feel of warm, soapy water anchored her in the present and in her own body. Most importantly, she had become unaccustomed to physical labor and the cleaning, lifting, and cooking tired her out enough so she could fall asleep. And if Bella cried out at night, Charlie never brought it up to her in the morning.

The pattern of life around Charlie's house hadn't changed much but it had changed. Her truck was gone, for one thing.

"Well, now, she's gone to that big old junk yard in the sky," said Charlie, when she'd asked. "But we can go looking for a new car for you this weekend—something nice and safe."

And so was Billy.

A few nights after she returned, Bella was digging through the refrigerator to find something to cook for dinner. Charlie passed through the kitchen to get a beer and Bella commented idly on the lack of fish in the freezer.

"Yeah, I haven't been out fishing much the last couple of years," Charlie said, cracking open a can of Mount Rainier. "It's not the same without Billy."

"What happened?" asked Bella.

"Drunk driver," said Charlie. He took a long swig of beer. "Yup. Rachel was driving Billy home and they were hit."

"Oh," said Bella and the finality of it sat in her stomach like a block of ice.

"We were all hit pretty hard," said Charlie.

Bella didn't ask why she hadn't been told or how Jacob was doing. She didn't think she had a right to know. She quietly pulled some ground beef out of the freezer and Charlie went to check the score on the game.

As promised, Charlie took Bella out to look at cars on Saturday or, rather, he took her to look at a car. Deputy Hernandez was selling her second car, bought for her son a couple of years ago but he didn't need it anymore.

"When your dad said you were coming home and about your—situation—I thought you might have more use for this old car than Sammy," said Deputy Hernandez after she had hugged Bella warmly and told her to drop both the 'deputy' and 'Hernandez' and call her Maria.

"Thank you," said Bella and she meant it. Maria drove a very reasonable bargain and the dent made in Bella's savings was small enough that she felt like celebrating.

"I'll stop at the grocery store and pick up some steak and beer," said Bella, excitedly. "And I'll get to test drive my new ride."

Charlie grinned at her. "It's just a Honda Civic, Bella. What would you do for a BMW? A whole cow?"

"What's that thing we saw on the Food Channel the other day? The turkey stuffed with the chicken? I'll do that."

"Well, now, for a deep-fried Turducken, I might chip in for a BMW."

"And when I trip over the deep-fryer and burn myself, you can call the ambulance."

"Maybe not, then," said Charlie, still smiling.

Bella smiled, too, as she cranked the radio on her new ride, rolled down the windows to let in the summer sun, and drove off with a jaunty wave to Maria and Charlie.

The grocery store was busy but, for once, Bella didn't mind. She wasn't paying attention to the crowd as she wandered the through the aisles with her cart. Steak and potatoes but what about dessert?

"I can bake a cake," thought Bella, but they needed more flour and eggs and she would have to backtrack to the baking aisle for flour.

She turned the cart around and ran straight into a small girl with tan skin and long, black hair.

"I'm so sorry," Bella cried. "Are you alright?"

She came around see if the little girl was okay but the little girl just looked at her with big, scared eyes and ran off towards a tall man in cargo shorts standing further down the aisle. She started after her thinking maybe she should apologize to the father. Bella watched as the little girl flung herself around his leg. He bent down to comfort her and Bella caught sight of his profile. It was Jacob.

"Shit," thought Bella. "Now, I've broken his heart and his daughter." Unsure whether to turn around and run far, far away or to jump up and pounce on him, she settled for backing away slowly. The little girl pointed directly at Bella, who watched as Jacob turned to look at her. He raised an apologetic hand and smiled his million watt smile. Jacob didn't know who she was.

It was too much—the aching hole in her chest. The sense of loss she had been fighting off all week rushed upon her and she started to cry.

***

"Tell me where she went" demanded Edward. "I have a right to know. I am her husband."

Esme took Edward's cold hand and placed it on her icy chest. "Do you remember the parable of the prodigal son?" she asked him. "Bella will return and when she does, you will forgive her. She must be allowed to discover the barrenness of life without her husband."

"But it's not safe. The Volturi—they will turn her and take her soul. She will be cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven." Edward pulled free of Esme and ran his hands through his hair. "She will be no better than an animal—no better than _us._"

"I am sure God could not be so cruel," said Esme. "He loves all his creations."

"Yes, Carlisle has said something similar many times and yet—I feel deep in my bones that God has forsaken me. Us. And now Bella, too."

Edward collapsed on the sofa and leaned forward, his head in his hands.

"I don't know where she's gone, Edward. I don't." Esme sat next to him and gently placed a marble arm around his back. "All she told me was that she had to leave—and that she loved us and would miss us."

"We need to find her," said Edward, his voice muffled by his hands. "We need to find her before they do."

"I just saw you in Florida, Edward. Can I come, too?" Alice skipped into the room. "I want to go to Disney World!"

***

Jacob didn't exactly hate grocery shopping. He certainly loved the many delicious meals that Rachel created from the groceries but the crowds made him jumpy. And it didn't help matters that Rachel had left him with little Mia for the day along with a list of errands.

He had only been back from Afghanistan for three months but this time it was for good—as an official ex-Marine. And after the back to back tours of duty in places far flung and dangerous, Jacob felt he deserved a little couch time. Actually, he felt he deserved _a lot _of couch time but Rachel disagreed.

"As long as you're not working, you can help me around the house," she had said pointedly before leaving for her job at the casino.

Rachel and Mia had moved in a couple of years before Billy died. Her boyfriend had ditched her and with Jacob out of the house, Billy liked having the company. She and Mia had stayed on in the house after Billy's death and she was only too happy to take Jacob in after he was discharged—in exchange for free babysitting and errand running services. So, Jacob happily took Mia grocery shopping and, even more happily, sent her off to fetch things to keep her busy and out from under foot.

Jacob was debating the varieties of coffee when he felt a child-sized lump attach itself to his leg. He peeled Mia off and asked what was the matter. She pointed down the aisle to a painfully thin, mousy-looking brunette who looked like she could barely lift her hand to swat a fly, let alone a sturdy 6-year old.

"It's okay, honey," said Jacob, smiling. "I think you probably scared her more than she scared you."

He gave a wave and the woman's face turned ashen and her eyes scrunched up.

"Oh, shit—I mean, shoot!" Jacob cursed. "Why did you have to run into a crazy lady, Mia?"

Mia's eyes grew big. "Did I really hurt her?" she whispered.

The mousy brunette started to cry.

Jacob sighed. Why did shit like this always happen to him? He had never gotten used to the sight of crying kids on the roadside and the look of the burnt out villages. Long after other men in his unit had deadened themselves to the human suffering around them, Jacob would hand out candy or bits of his rations to the kids. Then he would sneak out at night at phase—hunting down and tearing apart bad guys.

Crying ladies were something he could deal with. An unpleasant but not unexpected part of the job.

He took Mia by the hand and walked over to the sobbing woman.

"What seems to be the problem, ma'am?" he asked, not unkindly. "Is there anything I can do?"

Bony hands came up to cover her face. She shook her head no.

Jacob dug through his pockets for a tissue and came up with a napkin left over from a trip to McDonalds. He held it out. "Here, take this, at least. It may smell like fries but at least you won't have snot all over your face."

The woman sniffed and gave a small chuckle.

"See, I knew I could help—my jokes have been cited by the UN for their superb healing abilities," said Jacob and he flashed his cheekiest grin.

"Thanks," said the woman. She bit her lip and looked up at him with red, watery eyes. "You always did know how to cheer me up."

"Always?" Jacob asked. "Have we met before?" Although now that she mentioned it, she did look familiar, Jacob thought. Something about her face—but she couldn't be. Why would she be in Forks instead of roaming around Paris or Rome or Tahiti drinking blood with her undead, cradle robbing—

"Have I changed that much?" replied the woman.

"Bella?"

***


	3. Chapter 3

_Boilerplate: I do not own anything in this story – the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and Forks, Washington belongs to itself._

_Thank you for reading!_

_Also, I am going to India for a week and won't be back until the beginning of March. I'm going to try and get something posted before then but if I don't, please don't worry. I haven't forgotten about Bella and Jacob!_

_The quotation is taken from Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" Act II, Scene II, with Juliet on the balcony._

***

"Bella?" asked Jacob. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Yes." Bella sniffed and reached into her pocket for a tissue. It bothered her more than she cared to admit that Jacob hadn't recognized her.

"You're human." he said, peering at her carefully. His black eyes met hers and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Yes," she replied. "I guess my lack of breath-taking beauty gave it away, huh?"

Living with the eternally youthful Cullens hadn't exactly done wonders for her never-sparkling self-esteem—especially when it came to her looks. Bella never fully accepted that Edward could desire her dull brown hair, dishwater eyes, and her increasingly bony frame. But Jacob? Hadn't he wanted her, too?

"You smell human," said Jacob, ignoring her self-depreciating remark.

Jacob's little girl tugged on his hand and he swooped her up. She rested her head on his shoulder. Bella blushed, remembering how it felt to be wrapped up in Jacob's warm arms, and looked up at him through tear-filled lashes. He wasn't even paying attention to her. Desire was replaced by embarrassment and Bella blushed even harder.

"So, you're married?" Bella started to ask just as Jacob turned to leave.

"I've got to get little Mia back to her mommy. We'll have to catch up later—my number's still the same," he said over his shoulder.

"Oh. Okay, then. I'll give you a call and we can—" but Jacob was already out of earshot and had pushed his cart around the corner "—have wild monkey sex and run away to Vegas and then your wife would hunt me down and kill me." Bella continued to herself. She sighed. Of course he was married with an adorable daughter—an adorable daughter that could have been hers, if only she hadn't been so blind. "It would still be better than my life now," she muttered to herself.

An old lady gave her a funny look.

"Just catching up with an old friend isn't against the rules, is it?" Bella asked her.

The old lady shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure I don't know, dear," she said.

Meeting Jacob had stirred something up inside Bella—vague memories of rainy afternoons in his garage, the taste of warm soda, and a cold night in a tent, feeling his hot skin beneath hers.

His invitation burned bright in her head and in between looking at classified ads and cooking an elaborate dinner for herself and Charlie, Bella looked at the phone and imagined herself dialing it.

"But what would I say?" she thought. "Sorry about that time when I broke your heart, let's get a drink?"

She didn't call.

She found a couple of leads on jobs—nothing fancy but the thought of going out and working invigorated her more than she thought possible. At first living off the Cullens' money had been easy—an extension of living with her parents. When she needed something, it was provided for her. But after a while, the money had become just one more loop in the rope around her neck, choking the life out of her. She wanted to work and earn and contribute to society, even if just as a receptionist or clerk. Edward had never understood.

On Tuesday night, Bella stood at the open window looking out into the darkness, into the silent woods. She wasn't used to being alone like this and it scared her a little. But then she imagined Edward's cold arms coming around to hold her tight—to bind her forever to him—and the thought scared her even more and she whipped around to make sure there was nobody in her room.

The leaves of the trees sounded like whispers. "Alone," they said. "You're all alone."

"You don't scare me," she replied.

***

Edward had never been good at group activities but that had never stopped Alice from trying to organize them. If not for his devotion to Carlisle, Edward would have left his adopted brothers and sisters many, many years ago, preferring to spend his eternal existence in studied introspection and solitude. And puttering around with his hobbies. It is a testament to that devotion to the Cullen patriarch and maker that Edward remained calm and in control as Alice grabbed his hand and pulled him towards The Haunted Mansion.

"Why must I accompany you on this carnival attraction, Alice?" he said crankily. "Frankly, this entire amusement park seems rather less than…amusing."

"Oh, hush," said Alice. "Later we'll go to Main Street and you can pretend that you're back in eighteen-fifty-two."

Edward glowered at her and wished, not for the first time, that he did not need to rely on Alice's precognitive powers as often as he did. Her precocious temperament grew rather irritating after a few decades. Alice had agreed to accompany him on his search for Bella if and only if they made a few detours along the way. And, as if God was punishing him, Disney World was on the way to Jacksonville, where Bella's mother still lived. Even worse, God had granted them a rainy, overcast arrival day.

"Now, you're trying to irritate me on purpose," said Edward. "You know very well I wasn't alive back then."

"Is it working?" asked Alice. "Because it looks like you are going to ride this with me." She did a pirouette, flashing her panties at the crowd.

The thoughts of the hordes of tourists surrounding the two siblings grew dense. Edward focused on Alice's busy mind. Her thoughts flew so fast it was like listening to white noise—not quite as restful as Bella's blank mind but still more restful than the gaping maw of the human crowd. Edward caught the thoughts of two teenaged boys thinking very graphic sexual thoughts about Alice, pushing her down, shoving up her dress, and exposing her tiny body to…

Edward imagined himself ripping the boys' heads off. He imagined the blood, warm and salty and full of life, flowing down his throat as he drank deeply.

A cold hand on his arm shook him out of it.

"No," he said firmly. "I will not listen to Satan."

"I told you not to call me that," said Alice with a grin. "But look—do you see?"

"See what? I think we should leave—this crowd is—overwhelming." Edward placed a hand on his alabaster brow and tried to block out the thoughts of the group of young girls ogling him.

"Over there—a vampire. Volturi?"

Edward followed her gaze. There was a suspiciously pale and beautiful man working the gate at The Haunted Mansion. Despite the gauche outfit the man was wearing, Edward could tell that he had a well-muscled and perfectly defined figure. He tried to listen to his thoughts but the din of the crowd was too loud.

The tall man leaned down and spoke into the ear of a plump blond girl. She leaned in, under his thrall.

"I can't tell from here. We'll get closer."

"Can't tell what?" came a voice from behind him. Jasper. "Hey, did y'all check out those bears? What will they think up next? Reminds me of the time me and fellas dressed up and—"

Alice wrapped her arms around him. "We have company, Jazz," she said. "Vampire."

"Well, now," said Jasper, "this trip is about to get mighty entertaining."

***

"Dude," said Embry. "You seriously told her to call you?"

"It just slipped out," said Jacob, putting his head in his hands. "I couldn't help it."

They were sitting in Embry's living room, drinking beer while he graded papers—a Sunday afternoon tradition. Embry didn't have a lot of free time during the week, one of the many downsides to being a high school teacher, as Jacob was quick to point out. Embry usually liked to bring up the fact that at least he was getting paid, unlike some people who were living at home with their sisters.

"So, how are you going to get out of it? I guess you could just have Rachel answer the phone for the next couple of weeks. Bella might be dense but even she can't misunderstand Rachel's 'bitch, please' voice." Embry had once spilled purple drink on Rachel's favorite sweater. He knew what he was talking about.

"Well—I was thinking that maybe—if she called—" Jacob didn't quite meet Embry's eyes.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" said Embry, raising his voice. "She _married_ a vampire. Married, meaning she's been boning an undead guy for the last 10 years. You do not want to get messed up in that shit again."

"I don't know," said Jacob. "You didn't see her. She looked broken—and very human."

"And you're going to fix her. Again." Embry sighed. "It's your funeral, bro. Just don't expect us to pick up the pieces again."

"It's not like that," Jacob replied. "I just—"

"You're just unemployed and need something to do," said Embry laughing. "Well, I guess this will keep you busy. Why can't you just go down at hunt for chicks at the bar like any normal guy?"

Jacob grinned. "That scene is so played—hasn't been anyone new over at Mill Creek in a month."

"Just tell me you didn't sleep with Sadie," Embry begged.

"I can tell you that but it wouldn't be true," said Jacob, grinning even harder. "You wouldn't want me to lie now, would you?"

Embry let out a huge groan. "It would serve you right if Bella _did_ call," he said. "You are way too cocky."

"I can't help it if the ladies all want a piece of this," said Jacob, taking a huge swig of self-congratulatory beer.

But Bella didn't call—not Sunday. Not Monday, either.

Jacob called Embry on Tuesday.

"Should I just call her?" he asked.

"I don't care," said Embry. "I'm trying to figure out how to make Reconstruction interesting."

Jacob couldn't take the waiting.

"Maybe Embry is right," he thought. "I need a job. I wonder if the old Kirkwood place is still for sale—this town needs a decent mechanic."

He was crawling out of his skin—literally. Wednesday night, Jacob phased for the first time in months.

His human cares and worries shook themselves away as he raced through the woods, chasing the gamy scents of deer and rabbits. The packmind was silent. With no vampires in Forks for the last 10 years, the need for patrols had disappeared and the pack had mostly settled in to human lives.

Leah was making pottery; Embry was teaching history at the high school; Paul had joined the Clallam County police force; and Sam and Quil had their own construction business. And Emily was as sweet as ever.

Jacob ran and ran not thinking about where he was going. Muscle memory took over and he traced his way along some of his old haunts, sniffing out the border out of habit.

And because the wolf had even less self-control than human Jacob, he took off towards the Swan house.

The light was on in Bella's room and her figure cast a dark shadow as she stood and looked out over the lawn. She was talking to herself, no, reciting to herself. Jacob crept closer and Bella's small voice drifted on the breeze.

_Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face,_

_Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek_

_For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night_

_Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny_

_What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!_

_Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,'_

And she looked so cute and earnest that Jacob gave a little bark of laughter.

Bella paused. "Hello?" she asked warily. "Is anyone there?"

He stayed silent. Maybe if she didn't see him...

"Jacob?" He stopped breathing but he didn't move. "I guess it was just my imagination," she sighed, disappointed.

And the little seed of hope buried deep in Jacob's heart, so deep he had forgotten it was there, unfurled a little leaf. She hadn't forgotten him after all.

***


End file.
